


Guilt Trip (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love Tanking)

by ThatGuy62



Series: Off The Record [4]
Category: Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy Record Keeper
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Guilt, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 16:15:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20914940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatGuy62/pseuds/ThatGuy62
Summary: The Records really put into perspective how lucky he and his allies were by compare. (Short one-shot/characterstudy-ish piece)





	Guilt Trip (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love Tanking)

**Author's Note:**

> Since SE refuses to give me interactions between the III remake characters and the rest of the series, I'll write them myself if I have to (on the 1/100000 chance that someone on the Opera Omnia team or so reads this, please do something and spare the world my terrible writing).  
Yet another RK-related thing, the inspiration for this came from the Nemesis conversations: I mentioned it before, but the Hall of the Beyond during fests (first part of the X Records) has a battle with Nemesis. Depending on your party set-up, you get dialogue between the characters, usually based on what they said in their games.  
This one of the few, if not only times, characters from different realms interact in RK. It ain't much, but it's something.  
The team I thought about is "Those Who Protect, Those Who Shout". More specifically, I started thinking about how Ramza and Y'shtola have gone through a lot, whereas Ingus hasn't. And thus he might be feeling guilty or awkward.  
Note that there are references to FFIII's unused dialogue/subplots in here. They're summarized, so you don't need to (know Japanese and) read them, but I'll mention it anyway as a forewarning.  
By the way, I recommend looking up those easter eggs if you ever want ideas on character interactions to write. I've seen ones that people rarely pick up on like Leila and Faris (and Yuffie).

Ingus couldn’t help but feel guilty.

He knew it was wrong. That it was due to factors beyond his control. That that was merely how life dealt people’s hands. But no line of thinking could erase the guilt he was feeling.

These archives were going to drive him mad.

The records chronicled the sagas of heroes from other worlds. The world that he and his friends hailed from was present, along with many others. And all of those records exposed him to the sheer suffering that their residents went through - from deities that had it out for the world to the sheer depravity of humanity. In general, it was clear that the inhabitants had suffered greatly, especially the heroes that came from the records. 

Ingus could not remember any suffering that he experienced during his adventure, which is an impressive feat considering that he  _ died _ .

Neither he nor his friends could remember enough of their pasts to really mourn it. The surface, while disturbing, was tempered by a sense of curiosity. Their individual histories were absent of any negative experiences as well for the most part. Aria, Doga and Unei’s death, as sad as they were, lacked a personal connection.

Now Ingus fights alongside people who saw worlds get destroyed or changed drastically. 

The Sasune knight thought back on two fellow heroes he fought alongside.

Ingus thought of Ramza Beoulve, a passionate young man who refused to fall into the corruption around him, and instead relentlessly pursued the truth. His world was a particularly violent one, due to the period of his life from which he was summoned being filled with war and strife. Ramza fought tooth and nail to protect his sister, Alma, and his “reward” was to go down in the annals of history as a villain, a scapegoat for centuries until long after his death. And yet, he was okay with that.

Then, Ingus thought of Y’Shtola Rhul. She had more of a bite to her on occasion, but overall, she remained calm, cool and collected despite also participating in a war. She has no doubt lost allies and comrades and while the heroes weren’t permitted to look too closely at the records, some of the things he heard about her… riskier maneuvers was proof enough of how much she was willing to sacrifice. And still, she kept going.

And then there was him. Ingus, who did nothing after dodging the Djinn’s curse while the princess he was supposed to be protecting went off by herself to save the kingdom. Ingus, who doubted his allies, thinking they were too sweet to be light warriors. Ingus, who alienated Arc by being overbearing towards him, until the boy took off by himself to prove that he could secure the Dragoon equipment. 

Ingus, who was powerless on his own.

The light warrior, sitting against a corner in some oft-ignored part of the records, took off his necklace and stared contemplatively at it. He suddenly realized that that, perhaps, was why he chose to use the knight job rather than his usual Red Mage: He knows he had no power on his own, yes, but he could protect those he fought alongside. Perhaps this did not truly make up for how easily he and his fellow light warriors got off compared to everyone else, but it was a step in the right direction. And he would gladly throw himself into the line of fire for the sake of the world.

For Sasune.

For Sara.

Ingus’ necklace found its place back around his neck. Standing up, the knight briskly made his way throughout the halls with renewed purpose. Until the records were restored, he would protect Luneth, Arc, Refia, Onion Knight, Ramza, Y’shtola and all others he fights alongside.

He swears by the pride of Sasune. 

**Author's Note:**

> I do have an idea that ties these one-shots together. I just don't know if I'll actually write it or not.  
See all five of you that read this next time.


End file.
